The MMA world has been closely following Sean Strickland’s ongoing dispute with the UFC over fighter pay and his contract. The reigning middleweight champion was expected to defend his title against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 335, but the fight never materialized.
Over the past few days, Strickland has taken to X to make his frustration with the promotion public. The 185-pound champion has even considered moving up to light heavyweight to finish his remaining UFC contract before switching to boxing, where a potential showdown with Jake Paul could offer a much bigger payday.
Strickland has also accused the UFC of ruining fighters’ legacies by underpaying them and forcing them to compete against a younger generation they may struggle to keep up with. Now, former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson has weighed in on the situation, drawing from his own experience with the promotion.
Demetrious Johnson Says Sean Strickland Should Have Rejected New UFC Deal Over Pay Issues
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Johnson admitted that he had been in a similar position during his fighting career.
He said, “I’ve been in his position before. At the end of the day, I fought through my contract as a champion because I wanted more money, and they weren’t going to give me more money.”
Johnson explained that he believed his performances inside the Octagon justified better pay, but he ultimately chose to fight out his contract rather than continue pushing for a raise.
“When I’m fighting, I’m finishing people, I’m creating moves in there, I’m exciting, whether people don’t believe it or not, and I fought through that contract, so I’ve been there before. So you’ve got to decide: does he want to fight or does he not? It’s a very simple question. Do you want to fight, yes or no? That’s just how I do business.”
While Johnson sympathized with Strickland’s frustration, he also questioned the middleweight champion’s approach, particularly after reportedly signing a new six-fight deal with the UFC ahead of UFC 328.
Johnson acknowledged that he would have liked to earn more during his career but argued that fighters eventually have to make peace with their decisions.
“There has to come a point in time where, when is enough, enough?” Johnson said. “Do I wish I made more money? One thousand percent. But I’m not going to sit here and gripe and moan about it. What’s done is done… I have to be happy with his decision.”
He also pointed to Henry Cejudo’s decision to retire while seeking better pay, only to return to competition later.
Demetrious Johnson questions Sean Strickland’s complaints about UFC fighter pay, but respects his frustrations:
“When is enough enough? Do I wish I made more money? 100%. But I’m not gonna sit here and gripe and moan about it.
At the end of the day, it’s Sean Strickland’s journey. It’s his career. If he’s not happy with it, I have to respect that he’s unhappy with it. It doesn’t mean I have to agree with him.
I’m a black and white type person, right? He signed a contract and he’s got 5 fights left in his contract.”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 12, 2026
“At the end of the day, it’s Sean Strickland’s journey. It’s his career. If he’s not happy with it, I have to respect that he’s unhappy with it. It doesn’t mean I have to agree with him. Even Henry Cejudo said, ‘Man, I was trying to make more money, so I retired.’ Then he came back, and it didn’t work.”
Johnson believes Strickland now needs to make a clear decision about his future. While the champion has suggested that he had little choice in how his contract situation played out, Johnson pointed out that he still agreed to the deal and should honor his commitment.
He added, “I’m a black and white person, right? He signed a contract, and he’s got five fights left on his contract; maybe he didn’t think he was gonna win and now he’s stuck in this position.”
According to Johnson, Strickland could have taken a different route by refusing to sign a new deal, relinquishing his title and openly pursuing better opportunities in boxing. He brought up Francis Ngannou as an example of a fighter who left the UFC and went on to secure lucrative boxing matches.
Johnson argued that Strickland could still make his intentions clear rather than letting the dispute drag on.
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“[But] he doesn’t have to fight. He can go, ‘Guys, I don’t want to fight anymore. I want to make more money in boxing. You’ve seen what Francis [Ngannou] has done; he’s made a ton of money [in boxing]. I want to do the same thing. So you know what, UFC? I’m going to relinquish my belt right now. I do not want to do mixed martial arts; I don’t want to fight anymore. Take the belt; somebody else can fight for this money. You let me know when I can go box and make some real money.’ Why can’t the conversation be like that publicly?”
For Johnson, the situation does not need to become a prolonged back-and-forth between Strickland and the UFC. He believes the champion should decide whether he wants to continue fighting under his current deal or walk away from MMA and pursue boxing instead.